Illuminated lug wrench attachment



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E. S. WOOD, JR

Filed May 26, 1955 INVENTOR- 5/ 1/0015. Wow/J):

ILLUMINATED LUG WRENCH ATTACK-WENT Feb. 26, 1957 United States Patent ILLUMINATED LUG WRENCH ATTACHMENT Elwood s. Wood, Jr., Norfolk, Va.

Application May 26, 1955, Serial No. 511,144

2 Claims. (Cl. 240-646) This invention relates to an illuminated lug wrench attachment which is adapted to be used with various tools.

An object of the invention is to provide a combined lug wrench attachment and utility light therefor which light may be quickly removed from the lug wrench for other uses.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved light structure which is adaptable for insertion within a lug wrench attachment and which may be used without the lug wrench attachment.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the flashlight for use with the attachment;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the parts in detached position;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the lug wrench attachment, with a lug wrench, the latter beingpartly broken away;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the lug wrench attachment;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of lug wrench attachment;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a second modification;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of a third modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figures l-3 illustrate the flashlight. This comprises an upper barrel 10 and a lower barrel 12 which are drawn to each other, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, by cooperating screw threads 14. The lower barrel 12 is provided with a battery 16, and the upper barrel 10 has a transparent cap 18 which may be attached to or detached from the barrel 10 by cooperating screw threads 20. The upper barrel houses the bulb or lamp 22 which is frictionally supported by the spring 24, as shown in Figure 2. When the lower barrel 12 is screwed into the upper barrel 10, an electrical connection may be made between the contact 26 of the battery 16 and the lamp bulb 22. It will be noted that the cap 18 is provided with a transverse aperture 28 for the reception of a key chain 30. The bulb 22 is prevented from moving out of the casing by the circular flange 23 which is integral with the barrel, as shown in Figure 2.

When the lamp bulb is illuminated, the rays of light shine through the transparent cap 18. This unit as a whole may be inserted in the structures illustrated in Figures 47, inclusive, for the purpose of illuminating the socket shown in Figures 4 and 5 or the boss shown in Figures 6 and 7.

2,783,364 Patented Feb. 26, 1957 Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the numeral 32 indicates a lug wrench attachment for the lug wrench 34, shown in Figure 4. This attachment includes an expanded head member 36 having a plurality of faces 38 corresponding to the faces 40 of the lug wrench head member 42. This latter is adapted to receive the multi-sided lower end 44 of the said attachment 32. This end 44 is provided with a ball 46 which is spring pressed outwardly by the spring 48 shown in Figure 5.

It will be noted that the lug wrench attachment has a longitudinal channel 50, the intermediate portion of p which is provided with a shoulder 52 forming a stop for the upper barrel 10. It will be further noted that when the flashlight is inserted in the underside of this channel, the cap 18 has been previously removed.

After the flashlight has been inserted in the lug wrench attachment, the lug wrench attachment is lowered into head member 42 so that the squared sides will engage the squared sides of the head member and when the socket member is rotated such rotation will rotate the attachment. Previously to this time, however, as indicated above, the flashlight has been inserted within the lug wrench attachment as shown in Figures 4 and 5, with the light bulb illuminated. Such illumination of the light bulb may be obtained by merely rotating the lower barrel 12 within the upper barrel 10 so that the contact 26 will engage the light bulb 22, which operation takes place before the light is inserted in the channel 50. After this operation has taken place, the attachment is seated within the head member 42, whereupon the head 36 is caused to engage the lug. Rotation of the lug wrench 34 will therefore cause rotation of the head 36 and the nut engaged thereby. The light source directly illuminates the area surrounding the nut, so that head 36 may readily be engaged with the same.

A similar arrangement is shown in the modification illustrated in Figures 6-9, inclusive, wherein the utility light 60 is provided with a recess 62 for the reception of the flashlight barrels 10 and 12. It will be noted that the cap 18 has been removed at this time as was the case when the device was used in the structure shown in Figures 4 and 5. When the flashlight has been dropped within the recess 62, and assuming the barrels 10 and 12 have been rotated prior to such disposition of the light in said recess, to cause the light 22 to be illuminated, the light is in position to illuminate, with a fine pencil of light, an object which it is desired to inspect. This is particularly true of a device which is intended to be engaged by the adapter 64. This adapter is provided with an enlarged multi-sided head 66 having a spring pressed ball 68 urged outwardly by a spring 70 to engage the inner shoulder wall 72 of the utility light. The adapter is provided with an adapter head 74 which is preferably multi-sided but which, like the other head 66, may be oval or non-circular, for engagement with the socket of a tool or part of a machine. The adapter head is provided with a ball 76 which is urged outwardly by the spring 78 whereby to prevent unintentional detach ment of the parts.

Both the adapter 64 and its head 66 are provided with a section of transparent plastic indicated generally by the numeral 80 to thereby permit the transmission of light from the bulb 22 to the surrounding parts of the mechanism to be worked upon.

The structure illustrated in Figures 6 to 9 may be rotated by transverse pin 82 that extends through apertures 84 in the base of the utility light 60.

Referring again to Figures 6-9, it will be noted that the adapter 64, including the head thereof, is provided with a longitudinal aperture 86 which permits light beams to pass directly from the light source through the longitudinal aperture to the socket or other part into 1 which the head 66 is to be inserted. a

The adapter shown in Figure 10 is similar to the adapter shown in Figures 8 and 9, but instead of providing a head 66, a socket is provided. As shown in this figure, the adapter is indicated at 28 and includes a head 90 having multi-siclecl sockets 92 and 94 of different sizes, for different sized lugs. These sockets are separated from each other by the shoulder 96.

Figures 6 and 7 show structures the same as or similar to that shown in Figures 8 and 9 but it will be appreciated that the adapter 88, shown in Figure 10, may readily engage within the inner shouldered'wall 72 of the casing 60, and it is held in this position by the ball 160 which is spring pressed outwardly by the spring 102.

It will be appreciated therefore that I have devised an exceedingly simple flashlight combination which is adapted to be used as a flashlight per se, the cap of which may support a key chain, and when the barrels 10 and 12 are relatively rotated, will illuminate by means of rays passing from bulb 22 through transparent cap 18 to the keyhole and/ or key. The flashlight may be conveyed in the pocket or purse of the user or to assist in locating the keyhole and proper key for insertion therein. Should the user require the light for illuminating tools of the type shown in Figures 4l0, the cap 18 is removed from the flashlight and the flashlight is slid Within the structures 32, shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, or 60, shown in Figures 6 and 7.

The above description and drawings disclose several embodiments of the invention, and specific language has been employed in describing the several figures. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitations of the scope of the invention are thereby contemplated, and that various alterations and modifications may be made such as would occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

1. A combination illuminated lug wrench attachment comprising a casing having a head member, said head member being provided with an interior surface adapted to engage a lug, said attachment having a multi-sided end portion at the side opposite of said head member whereby said end portion may be engaged by a tool, said attachment having an intermediate portion, a longitudinal channel in said intermediate portion having a circular shoulder, a self-contained flashlight adapted to be slidably fitted within said channel and adapted to engage said shoulder, said flashlight comprising a pair of sleeve threadedly engaging each other, a battery in one of said sleeves, a bulb at one end of the other of said sleeves, switch means, said switch means being operable by relative rotative movement of said sleeves to connect said battery to said bulb.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the bulb end of said other sleeve is provided with screw threads for the attachment of a screw-threaded light emitting cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cook Apr. 19, 1955 

